At the outset, it should be noted that a person's skin and hair, among other biological materials, respond non-linearly under load of a device, such as a razor of a shaving device or absorbent articles, for example. These materials also are sensitive to hydration state, the age of the person, the site of the skin, and numerous other factors. When developing a device for delivering a load to skin, multiple factors should be considered. For a shaving device, factors such as the contact between the blades, skin surface, and the hair, for example, should be considered. Friction values, and other performance characteristics, may be dependent upon the shave preparation method, the skin, and other attributes. During shaving, both hair and the skin experience gross deformation under load, and, therefore, the speed of their response should be considered during the development of the shaving apparatus. Due to the mechanical complexity of the skin in response to a load, there is a need for a robust model that can predict the mechanical behavior of skin during various dynamic loading regimes, such as those found during a shaving stroke.